Man Jumps from World’s Largest Cruise Ship

A man was rescued after jumping into the ocean from Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas on Sunday morning as the ship sailed towards Roatan, Honduras.

The incident occurred one day after departing from Miami, Florida, for a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise, approximately 40 miles north of Santa Lucia, Cuba.

The ship’s AIS (Automatic Identification System) showed that the vessel deviated its course to launch a rescue craft to locate the man overboard.

A guest confirmed with Cruise Radio that an announcement was made stating that the individual was rescued shortly after the rescue craft had been launched.

Later that morning, the Icon of the Seas’ hotel director addressed Crown and Anchor members in a top-tier show theatre event, stating that the man was in the ship’s intensive care unit with his family. On Tuesday morning, the New York Post reported that the jumper had passed.

The ship is now back on course for its first port of call in Roatan, where it is scheduled to dock early Monday morning.

Royal Caribbean told Cruise Radio, “The ship’s crew immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard and launched a search and rescue operation. Our Care Team is actively providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”

Cruise Lines International Organization (CLIA) reported in 2020 that out of 212 man-overboard situations, only 28.2% had successful rescues.

This is Royal Caribbean’s tenth man overboard since 2020.

Last month, a 20-year-old passenger jumped off Liberty of the Seas after an altercation with his father on the pool deck. He was never recovered. Last August, an 18-year-old went overboard on Wonder of the Seas. After an exhaustive search, the man was not located, and the vessel was released to continue its itinerary. In June 2023, a woman fell off Mariner of the Seas while trying to take a selfie. She was later recovered and banned from the cruise line.

Icon of the Seas sails alternating Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises every other week. Its current sailing is scheduled at Roatan, Costa Maya, Cozumel, and the company’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay.